Amy Rojik (BDO Center for Corporate Governance): From Audit Quality to Governance Strategy

Apr 10, 2025

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(0:00) Intro

(1:13) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel

(2:00) Start of interview

(2:45) Amy's origin story

(3:25) Her start in corporate governance

(5:02) About the implosion of Arthur Andersen (she worked there from 1993 to 2002)

(7:00) Her time at BDO USA for the past 21 years and founding the BDO Center for Corporate Governance

(11:50) AI governance and board approaches to new technologies.

(13:53) Technology savviness or literacy of directors.

(15:32) Where does technology and AI fit in the board (full board v. committees)

(17:53) Climate disclosures and evolution of ESG "ESG is considered a four-letter word at this point"

(21:26) Evolving geopolitical landscape and challenges to globalization.

(24:25) CEO Succession Challenges

(26:40) CEO Compensation Insights and Private vs. Public Company Governance (including VC and PE)

(33:30) Thoughts on new SEC guidance limiting shareholder proposals on ESG issues and expanding disclosure requirements for large asset managers ("passive investors") engaging with companies on ESG issues (shifting from 13G to 13D). The rise of private markets.

(38:33) Future Governance Challenges "[F]or the next 12 months; 1) strengthening of AI and technology usage and oversight, 2) Continuing to evolve enterprise risk management, and 3) Ensuring effective cybersecurity and data protection policies." Other than that: talent management, board evaluations.

(42:08) Evolving Board Structures

(44:07) Books that have greatly influenced her life:

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (1996)

(45:31) Her mentors.

(47:20) Quotes that she thinks of often or lives her life by: "Water finds its level." and "You'll never achieve what you don't make known that you want."

(48:19) An unusual habit or an absurd thing that she loves.

(48:54) The living person she most admires.

(49:50) BDO USA governance podcast

Amy Rojik is managing partner of corporate governance at BDO USA, and director and founder of the BDO Center for Corporate Governance.

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Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License